Maryland RV-Specific Franchise Bill Fails To Pass Legislature

Late Monday night, Maryland HB 1173, a bill that would have improved the law that governs the relationship between RV dealers and manufacturers, was unable to obtain a concurrence vote in the Maryland House of Delegates and subsequently did not pass the legislature. HB 1173 was based on the RV-specific model law negotiated and agreed to by the RV Industry Association and the national RV Dealers Association. RV-specific laws allow the RV industry to pursue its business model without interfering in the auto industry.

During a wild day of legislative motions in Annapolis, HB 1173 was voted out of Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee with amendments and passed both second and third (final) reading in the Maryland State Senate. With two hours left before midnight, and the end of session, HB 1173 moved to the House of Delegates for a concurrence vote on the Senate amendments.

With fifteen minutes left in session HB 1173 was put on the House Calendar. But just after being put on the House calendar, the Maryland House Minority Leader challenged the Maryland Speaker of the House and the chamber dissolved into a raucous discussion as the 2023 Maryland legislative session came to an anticlimactic end.

So where do we go from here? At this moment it is unclear if there will be a special session called in 2023 for the Maryland legislature. If the legislature does hold a special session, it is a possibility that HB 1173 could see further consideration.

For questions, contact Sophie de la Torre at sdelatorre@rvia.org.